To Apply for the Regional Doctor System Next Year, Students Must Graduate from Middle Schools in the Same Metropolitan Region

Ministry of Health and Welfare Re-announces Enforcement Decree for the Regional Physician Training Act
Middle and High School Location Requirement Changed from "Non-Metropolitan Area" to "Metropolitan Area"

As the introduction of the 'Regional Doctor System' is expected to increase enrollment quotas at medical schools located in regional areas and spark a surge in competition for medical school admissions, the government has strengthened the eligibility requirements so that only students who graduated from middle schools within the same metropolitan region can apply for the regional doctor selection track at nearby medical schools. This measure is intended to prevent students from moving to other regions specifically to gain admission to medical schools.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on February 27 that it has prepared a revised draft of the enforcement decree for the “Act on Fostering and Supporting Regional Doctors (Regional Doctor Fostering Act),” which contains these measures, and will re-announce it for public comment until March 6. Previously, the Ministry had announced the original draft of the enforcement decree last month, but the revision was made following consultations with relevant ministries and feedback gathering.

The revised draft stipulates the selection ratio for the regional doctor track and the selection ratio for local students. Under this revision, 32 medical schools outside of Seoul are required to fill at least 10% of their total enrollment quota through the regional doctor selection track.

The revised draft also sets the selection ratio for local students who must meet the requirements regarding the location of their middle and high schools at 100 percent. This means that, without exception, all students selected via the regional doctor track must have graduated from both middle and high schools in the relevant region.

Additionally, the eligibility requirement concerning the location of middle schools for the regional doctor selection track has been changed from "non-metropolitan areas" to the "metropolitan region" adjacent to the medical school’s location. For example, to apply for the regional doctor track at medical schools in Daejeon or South Chungcheong Province, applicants must have graduated from middle schools located in Daejeon, Sejong, South Chungcheong Province, or North Chungcheong Province.

This policy aims to select students who have grown up in the region as regional doctors and require them to serve in the area, thereby fostering doctors who will reside long-term in the local community. The revision also reflects concerns that students may move to other regions to attend medical schools with more favorable admission conditions, which would undermine the intent of the Regional Doctor Fostering Act.

However, for medical schools located in Gyeonggi Province or Incheon Metropolitan City, the original requirement remains unchanged: applicants must have graduated from middle and high schools within the same medical service area.

Unlike the original draft, which planned to apply the middle school location requirement starting with the 2033 academic year admissions, the revised draft will implement this requirement immediately, beginning with next year’s (2027 academic year) admissions process.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to gather opinions from stakeholders and experts to ensure that the re-announced enforcement decree can be enacted swiftly following due procedures, and to prepare detailed announcements for the specific matters delegated by the Act and its subordinate regulations without delay. Any groups or individuals wishing to comment on the re-announced draft may submit their opinions to the Medical Workforce Policy Division of the Ministry or to the National Participation Legislative Center by March 6.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.